212 



NEW TEAOKS IN NORTH AMEEIOA. 



days of the year. The houses are of lime and stone; the 

 gates and small pillars of the principal houses are of turquoises ; 

 and all the vessels wherein they are served and other orna- 



ments of their houses are of gold. The other six cities are 

 built like unto this, whereof some are bigger, and Abacus is 

 the chiefest of them. At the south-east there is a kingdom 

 called Marata,* where there were wont to be many great cities, 

 wliich were all builded of touses of stonej with, divers lofts. 

 And tliese have and do wage war with the lord of the seven 

 citieSj through wMeh war the kingdom of Marata is for the 

 most part wasted, although it yet continueth and maintaineth 

 war against the other, 



* 



" Likewise the kingdom of Totonteac f lieth towards the 

 west — a very mighty province, replenished witli infinite 

 store of people and riclies; and in the said kingdom they 

 wear woollen clotlij made of the fleece of those beasts pre- 

 viously described; and tbey are a very civil people-" He 

 told also of another kingdom, called Acus.J Here they 

 showed him a hide half as big again as the hide of an ox, 

 which they said belonged to a beast with one horn. The 

 colour of the skin was like that of a goat, and the hair was a 

 finger thick. 



■A 



The inhabitants requested him to stay here three or four 

 days, because from this place they were " four days' journey 

 into the desert, and from the first entrance into the same 

 desert unto the city of Cevola are fifteen great days' jom^ncy 



* I believe ttig to haye been in tbe upper valley of the Eio GUa, "s^bere so 



mn; 



Civilisat 



'Tin try 



gress there, but the valleys are now quite deserted, 



;|: The position of the kingdom of Acus is not mentioned. It may have 

 been upon the Colorado Chiquito, or in the Canon de Chaco ; at both places 

 there are ancient ruins already described. 



